"He was born at two pounds. And he wasn't supposed to make it," she said.

Austin beat the odds after being born premature. On Thursday, despite having cerebral palsy which limits some of Austin's activity, he suited up for the first time, ready to take the field and call the coin flip.

"He looks like he's a natural, like he should be in one of those outfits," Jennifer Cooper said.

Austin headed back to a familiar spot on the sidelines, happy to be in uniform for this game.

Austin's team added a new play to the books Thursday. It was a surprise that put him on the field.

Under bright lights, Austin took a pass and took off. As his teammates cheered and ran by his side, Austin made a touchdown.

Austin's team carried him off the field - Thursday's most valuable player.

"That (making the touchdown) was awesome. It was awesome. I loved it," Austin said.

The Coyotes and the opposing team worked together to make the touchdown happen. Austin's mother said the moment is comparable only to bringing her son home from the hospital.

"He wasn't supposed to make it. So to see like him succeeding, being 16, when he wasn't even supposed to be here, is just amazing," Jennifer Cooper said.